Humidifier



April 23, 1935. G. o. Tol-:PFER

HUMIDIFIER Oiginal Filed March 20, 1930 @g4/f www Apr. 23, 1935 UNITED. STATESA PATENTA OFFICE George 0. Toepferaukee, Wis.

original No. 1,839,618, dated January 5, lssz, sel rial No. 437,355, March 20, 1930.

Application for reissueDecember 26, 1933, Serial No.

ysomma. (Cl. zal-15).*

- This invention relates to an air humidiiier especially designed and adapted for use in dwellings although also adapted for universal application. One of the principal objects of the invention is l to provide an air humidifier which is adapted for -organization with the smoke pipe or ue of the heating plant and which while of extremely simple and durable construction is nevertheless reliable, automatic and eil'ective in operation in that it properly humidiiles or moistens the air and insures its natural circulation throughout the rooms of the dwelling.

In carrying out the present invention a single enclosure or casing surrounds a portion of the smoke pipe or flue leading from the heating plant. Internally the enclosure is divided by a baille or partition into an air heating chamber and a vapor generating chamber. 'Ihe air inlet is to the lower side of the air heating chamber and the distributing system for the humidiiled air connects to the upper portion of the vapor generating chamber at the end thereof remote from the air heating chamber so that the air is constrained to travel through the entire extent of the air heating chamber and around the portion of the heated smoke pipe or ilue extending therethrough and then passes throughout the full length of the vapor generating chamber and out through the distributing system. During its travel through 30 the vapor generating chamber the heated air becomes saturated with the heated vapor therein and after thus being humidiiied is carried by the vdistributing system into one of the rooms on the lower door of the house and circulates throughout the entire interior of the dwelling.

In the vapor generating chamber means is provided for creating a finely divided mist or heated vapor and may consist of a spray system having nozzles supplied with water under the control of an electromagnetic valve embodied in one of the electrical circuits of an oil burner and consequently opened when the oil burner is in operation. The vapor generating means may also consist of a iloat controlled water supply valve which maintains a constant level of water aroundthe portion of the heated smoke pipe or nue extending through the vapor generating chamber. As the water is constantly heated a vapor or mist will rise from the surface thereof and into the path of the heated air. Preferably; the portions .of the smoke pipe extending through the air heating and vapor generating chamber are corrugated to increase the heatradiating surfaces thereof. 55 'I'heportionofthemokepipeinthevaporgenerating chamber mayhave transverse tubes to augment the heating action thereof.

Other objects and advantages reside in `certain i kpartly in vertical section showing another con- 16 struction embodying my invention. o

A Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that in both forms of the invention an enclosure or casing designated generally at I is provided and may have a removable top or cover 2 which in 20 use is firmly secured to the main portion of the easing. The casing I is supported upon asection of a smoke pipe or ilue designated generally at I, the smoke pipe extending from the heating plant designated diagrammatically at l. As shown in 25 the drawing, the sections of the smoke pipe I upon which the casing I is supported extends .longitudinally through the interior of the casing, that is, through suitably packed openings s in the end walls of the casing and also through-ar suitably packed opening I provided in an internal partition or baille 1. The partition or baule 1 extends between and is integral with or suitably connect\ ed to the side walls and is also integral with or connected to the bottom wall of the casing but it terminates short of the top wall of the casing. As will be understood from the drawing the partitionl separates the interior of the casing l into an air heating chamber or space Ill and a vapor generating space II, the air heating chamber communicating with the vapor generating space over the top of the baille or partition 1.

In the portion oi' the bottom wall of the casing g I,y which kcommunicates with the airl heating chamber. an air inlet l2 is provided; In the top 45 or cover 2 an outlet nipple I 3 for the humidiiied air is provided and connects to a pipe Iliforming part of a distributingusystem which preferably includes. as shown in Figure l, a register I5 located in the lower portion 7of one of the rooms of 50 the first floor of the dwelling. The outlet nipple Il is located at the end oi the `vapor 'generated chamber remote from the air heating chamber.

In both forms of the invention means is providedfox'producingavaporormiatintltel vapor 55 tending through the chamber Il will travel 5 through this mist or spray and'be humidiiled or moistened thereby during its passage to the distributing system.

InFlgure 1 thismeansisshown ascomprising a 'plurality o! spray nozzles 2lV which are positioned adjacent the partition 'I and which incline downwardly and inwardly into thevapor generating chamber. 'I'he nozzles 20 may be of any suitable construction and are carried on branches 2I of a water supply pipe 22. An electromagnetic valve 23 is incorporated in the water supply pipe. Normally, this valve 23 is biased (as by a spring, not shown) to closed position but when the windings of its magnet are energized it is automatically opened. The details of the construction of the valve are not shown as this type of valve is well known and widely used for various purposes. The windings of the electromagnetic valve are connected by wires 24 across wires 25 embodied in one of the electrical circuits of an oil burner or the like so that whenever the oil burner is in operation the current iiowing through the wires 25 will flow in part through wires 2l and consequently through the windings of the magnet to energize the magnet and open the valve. `When the valve 2l is opened iineLv divided sprays iue from the nozzles 2l andy strike against the heated smoke pipe l. This results in the generation of the vapor which fills the interior of the vapor generating chamber and acts to appropriately moisten the heated air traveling therethrough.V A drain pipe 30 may be connected with the lower portion of the chamberv I I of the form of the invention shown in Figure 1 todcarry ofl' any condensate, that may be formed. The drain pipe ll preferably has a trap 3l embodied therein.

' In the form of the invention shown in Figure 2 .a diii'erentmeans is shown for generating the mist or: vapor in the upper portion of the chamber I II. As illustrated, this means consists of a water supply pipe I5 having a downwardly directed discharge nippleli. Between thenipple 36 and its supply pipe 35 a float controlled valve 31 of any conventional or suitable construction is inter- This valve 31 operatestomaintain a constant level of water inthe chamber I I, the water surrounding at least a portion of the smoke pipe or flue .rextending through the chamber Il and being heated thereby.

In both forms of the invention the section of the smoke pipe organized with the casing I may ,l be' corrugated as, for example, as illustrated in LFigure 2, for the purpose of increasing the heating effect. The heating action of the smoke pipe Aon the water may `be further 'augmented by protransverseA tubes 4I, as illustrated'in Figure i In either form ofthe invention the portion of the smoke pipe in the air heating chamber-heats the air therein and the air, under the inuence of natural convection currents, rises through the air heating chamber Il-and lthrough the upper portion of the vapor generating chamber II and up through the pipe Il and out through the register I5 and into the interior of the dwelling through which it naturally circulates. During its travel through the upper portion of the vapor generating chamber it passes through the mist created therein and is thoroughly humidiiied. In either form of the invention the creation oi the mist is automatically maintained whenever the smoke pipe is heated or in other words whenever there isv need. for humidifying the air. In the form of the invention shown in Figure 1 the smoke'pipein the chamber II is sprayed whenever the oil burner is in operation. In the form of the invention shown in Figure 2 there is a constant level of water maintained in the chamber II and whenever the hot gas travels through the smoke pipe this water is heated and a vapor or mist produced. It is to be noted that in both forms ofthe invention the heated air is constrained to travel throughout the entire length oi the heating chamber.

The invention claimed is:

1. A humidier for use with a heating plant having a smoke pipe and comprising a casing having a transverse internal partition dividing the casing into an air heating chamber anda vapor generating chamber, said chambers being spaced longitudinally of the casing, said partition terminating short of the top of the casing to provide for flow of the heated air from the air heating chamber into the vapor generating chamber, the ends of the casing and the partition having openings through which the smoke pipe extends, an air inlet into the air heating chamber, means i'or creating a vapor in the vapor generating chamber and comprising spray nozzles for directing sprays against the portion of the smoke pipe in the vapor generating chamber, and a distributing system connected to the vapor generating chamber.

2. A humidiiler for use with a heating plant having a smoke pipe and comprising a casing having an integral partition dividing the casing into an air heating chamber and a vapor generating chamber, the ends of the casing and the partition having openings through which the smoke pipe extends, an air inlet into the air heating chamber. means for creating a vapor in the vapor generating chamber and comprising spray nozzles for directing sprays against the portion of the smoke pipe in the vapor generating chamber, a water supply pipe for supplying the vspray nozzles with water and an electromagnetically controlled valve for regulating the ilow of water through said supply pipe.

3. A humidiner for use withy av heating plant having a smoke pipe and comprising a casing having a transverse internal partition dividing the casing into/an airheating chamber located at one end of the casing and a vapor generating chamber located at the other'end thereof, the ends oi the casing and the partition having openings through which the smoke pipe extends, said partition terminating below the top of the casing to provide for iiow of the heated air from the air heating. chamber to the vapor generating chamber, an air inlet into the air heating'chamber, means for creating a vapor in the vapor generating chamber and a distributing system connected to the vapor generating chamber.

4. A humidier for use with a heating plant longitudinally alined openings through which the v smoke pipeextends, said partition dividing said casing internally into an air heating chamber located at one end of the casing and a vapor generating chamber located at the other end of the casing, an air inlet to the lower end of the air heating chamber, means for creating a vapor in the vapor generating chamber and a distributing system connected to the upper portion of the vapor generating chamber at a point'remote from the air heating chamber.

5. 'I'he combination with a furnace having a smoke liuc, of a vessel having a water chamber, a section of said flue passing through said vessel and through said water chamber, said vesel having a vapor space above and open to the water chamber, a vapor conduit communicating with said vapor space, and a cold air pipe having an inlet below the level c! said water and discharging into said vapor space below the top of said water chamber 6. Thel combination in a humidifier, of a vessel,

a smoke flue extending through the lower portion of said vessel. said vessel having a water chamber surrounding said smoke flue, means for. maintaining a predetermined level of water in said vessel, a division wall extending transversely of said vessel at one end ol' said water chamber to form a cold air passage below the top of said water chamber, a cold air pipe communicating with said e and leading from a point below said vessel, and a vapor conduit communieating with the space above said water chamber at a point removed from said cold air e.

GEORGE O. TOEPFER. 

